Richard BELL, Psalm singing 2007

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National Gallery of Australia | Audio Tour | National Indigenous Art Triennial 07

Arts


IFWECAN’TEXPECTPROTECTIONFROMTHELAW,THENHOWCANWEBEEXP ECTEDTORESPECTTHELAW?OURYOUNGPEOPLE,PARTICULARLYYOUNG MALES,AREROUTINELYCRIMINALISEDFORMINOROFFENCESTHATRAREL YATTRACTSPOLICEACTIONINWHITENEIGHBOURHOODDS.YOUHAVECON VINCEDYOURSELVESTOBELIEVETHATABORIGINALPEOPLEAREDIRTY,LA ZY,LYING,DRUNKENCRIMINALS.BUT,DEEPD.OWNYOUKNOWTHATYOUAR ERIPPINGUSOFF.YOUKNOWTHATWEDON’TGETA‘FAIRGO’.WORSE,YOUKN OWWEHAVENEVERHADAFAIRGOINTHIS,OUROWNCOUNTRY.THENYOUJUS TIFYTHEACTIONSOFYOURFOREBEARS.YOUDENYANYEVIDENCETHATCLAI MSVIOLENCEBYYOURANCESTORSAGAINSTABORIGINALPEOPLE.THENYO UABSOLVETHEMOFANYBLAMEFORSOMETHINGTHATYOUCLAIMTHEYNEV EREVERDIDINTHEFIRSTPLACE.NOTTOOFARFROMTHISRATIONALISATION YOUARRIVEATTHECONCLUSIONTHATWESHOULDACTUALLYBETHANKFU LTHATITWASTHEENGLISHWHO‘CONQUERED’AUSTRALIARATHERTHANTH EFRENCHOR,GODFORBID,THESPANISHORDUTCHORPORTUGESE.YOUHOL DTHATWEMUSTBEETERNALLYGRATEFULFORTHEGREATFAVOURYOURAN CESTORDIDFORUSBYDISPOSSESSINGUS.WESHOULDBENOLESSGRATEFUL FOREVERYBITOFWELFARETHROWN OURWAYEVENTHOUGHYOUWILLBEGR UDGEUSEVERYSINGLETHINGTHATWEGET.YOUMAKEUPLIESABOUTUSTOE XPIATEYOURGUILT…BEWARNED…JUDGEMENTDAYCOMETH.